Friday, July 22, 2016

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The Winston-Salem State University football team has an exciting season coming to the city of Winston-Salem with five home games and the inauguration of the Winston-Salem Football Classic. The three-day community-centered event is one of the strongest community partnerships in WSSU athletic history with the Rams joining strengths with the City of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem Forsyth County School System.

We are excited about the launch of the inaugural Winston-Salem Classic. Lots of planning has gone on behind the scenes to ensure the weekend is a memorable one. It's more than just a game for us - it's an opportunity for partner with the city of Winston-Salem and heightened the exposure about WSSU and celebrate our value within the city, stated Tonia Walker, WSSU Director of Athletics.

The Winston-Salem Football Classic kicks on Thursday, Sept. 15 with the "Youth tRAMSformation Tour." Beginning at 9 a.m., over 700 seventh graders from across the county to learn academic concepts. The event will include sessions with WSSU professors, staff and students-athletes. Students will also tour the campus radio station and grasp mass communication techniques beneficial with speech. Science concepts will be introduced through a tour of the school of Health Science's virtual hospital housed at the Enterprise Center where they will witness various demonstrations. Additionally exercise science faculty will provide lessons on how student-athletes overcome injuries through interactive activities. Students will tour the Diggs Gallery and several other key areas of campus.

"We are excited about the opportunity for our middle school students to engage in activities that focus on academic life on the college campus. We are well aware of the positive impact that athletics plays in the classroom and are grateful to the WSSU athletes and staff who are willing to serve in mentors roles to help our young people understand that commitment and dedication are the keys to success on and off the field", stated Carol Montague Davis, Assistant Superintendent of Middle and High School Administration for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

The Winston-Salem Classic continues on Friday, Sept. 16 with the WSSU football team and the Panthers of Virginia Union visiting area middle schools, and volunteering throughout selected schools.

The day will conclude with Winston-Salem Classic Banquet. The banquet is open to the public and will honor one of the most decorated men in college athletics – Coach William "Bill Hayes. Both WSSU and VUU will be present at the banquet with keynote speakers. Tickets to the banquet are $75, which includes general admission to the game on Saturday. Tickets will be available for purchase through the WSSU Athletics website – www.wssurams.com or in-person from the WSSU Bowman Gray Fieldhouse. Select students from the Youth tRAMSformation Tour will be invited back to attend to the banquet.

Mayor Allen Joines stated, "Winston-Salem is very pleased to host the first annual Winston-Salem Classic. We hope all of the participants, both locally and from out of the City, have a memorable time."

On Saturday, Sept. 17 the real festivities begin, with the We See Red Block Party, the six-hour RAMtastic day will feature games, vendors, exhibition booths, community group performances, radio personalities and food trucks. At 5 p.m. the world-renowned Red Sea of Sound will lead the group from main campus to Bowman Gray Stadium for the 6 p.m. helmet-to-helmet matchup with the Rams and the Panthers. (All youth from Thursday's Youth tRAMSformation Tour are welcomed as special guests and will be invited to take place in pre-game and in-game activities.)

According to Chancellor Elwood Robinson, "The Winston-Salem State University Football Classic is about more than football. The game is just one part of a great weekend that gives some of the best and brightest students from our local public schools exposure to a slice of college life, honors the legacy of former Athletic Director and Coach Bill Hayes, and sets the stage for the Classic to become an annual tradition for the university and the city."

Tickets for the 2016 Winston-Salem State University football season are still available for purchase through the ticket office (336) 750-3220. General admission is $75, general parking is $75, the All-Access card is $150 (provides admission to home football, basketball, baseball and the ACE Awards; this card is not valid for championship games or the CIAA Tournament), All-Access card with reserved seating is $200.